August 2014

08/28/2014
by She's Going the Distance 9 Comments

Treadmill PR!

Monday: 6m tempo 7:48/pace

Tuesday: 5m easy 8:50/pace, 20min chest, 10 abs

Wednesday: 25min full back, legs

I did something kinda cool. I crossed off a fun resolution I had for this year. I ran a half marathon on the treadmill in between clients during a work day! First, this was the longest distance I’ve ran on a treadmill in general, so hey, new PR! I always save long runs for first thing in the morning or weekends as I’m sure most runners do, but I was feeling the extra miles were worth it to check off a res.

After the Treadmill Half

When i was done with that workout I realized my shoes are trash. The edges are worn, the cushioning just isn’t there and it’s time to shoe shop. What makes me upset (not the shoe shopping!) is these shoes only have 210 miles on them. I’m pretty disappointed even though I love the Saucony Kinvara 4s.

They got me through a few half marathons and a TON of speed workouts. I almost solely (<–bad pun alert heheh) used the Kinvara’s for speed work over the last year. It seems a little early to donate them, but my legs don’t feel right after a run in them.

What do you guys use to determine shoe retirement? I did a blogpost about this a long time ago and most still holds true to me. I always notice physical wear along the outside on the heel (i slightly pronate) and running starts to feel flat. I’m disappointed I can’t seem to get much more than 200-300 miles out of my shoes before buying a new pair. Although most shoes I wear are lightweight, cushioned and I don’t think they get higher mileage.

I’m thinking of buying a more sturdy, traditional shoe for longer, easy runs and sticking with lighter 4mm drop for speed work since it’s what i’m used to. I had a discussion with Emmeline about zero drop, 4mm, etc. It’s like a little cool club you’re in that really doesn’t make an ounce of difference to anyone but the individual running. Whether you run in traditional 9-12mm drop shoes or zero it doesn’t make you anymore badass or even a better runner. It just means you got your muscles used to a different heel drop and the preference is the “natural” footfall. But like everything from the gel you consume or running without underwear…it’s all a personal choice for whatever works best for you.

I do and will always rotate 2 or more pairs of shoes with a different heel drop. This helps prevent injury. So as I hunt for my next two pairs of shoes for fall rotation, send me out your recommendations and how you know shoes need to be hung up! I’m always curious!

Weekly Recap

Monday: 10m easy 8:09/pace (super-flat midwest)

Tuesday: 5.2m 10:01/pace (super hilly humid east coast day after running 10 and sitting in a car all day run)

Wednesday: 25min upper body

Thursday: 13.1 easy 8:35/pace

Friday: 20min chest/biceps

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 3.1m easy race <—ended up not racing, just enjoying!

Total Miles: 31.4

Shoes?

How are your New Year’s Resolutions doing?

08/20/2014
by She's Going the Distance 10 Comments

The Cottage

Monday: 10m easy 8:09/pace (super-flat midwest)

Tuesday: 5.2m 10:01/pace (super hilly humid east coast day after running 10 and sitting in a car all day run)

Wednesday: 25min upper body

If you know me for long enough you’ll hear the elusive words, The Cottage like i’m referring to a good movie you should have already seen. In actuality, it’s just a lake house. You know, a house that sits on the lake. There’s nothing too fancy or special about it. What makes is awesome, is the people.

I had a difficult time on and off during this trip. Being with friends, family, a lake and a few drinks helped me through it. And of course a couple of excellent early morning runs never hurt–What better way to clear your head, right?

I did a ton of thinking about my job, relationships, family, life, and iced coffee while I was out running the old routes through Munster, IN. Came to a few conclusions and realizations that I’ll share in the near future, but for now i’m just happy that i’m seeing things clearly and starting to make decisions to keep this happy train chugging (and no, not chugging beer haha).

Joe, me, Patrick & Liz

For now I’m trying to regain some focus back on the Chicago Marathon. It’s 52 days out. My longest run has been 10. EEK. I’m hoping that Sunday’s 5k and September’s half marathon provide some good info for Chi. But I mean, if worse comes to worse, I know i’ll finish this marathon during a crazy time in my life and that itself will be an accomplishment. Either way, there’s always another marathon right?

Kathy & me

Where do you go to get mental clarity?

What’s your best marathon training tip??

08/18/2014
by She's Going the Distance 12 Comments

29th Birthday!

My 29th birthday started out with an early morning 6 X 800s track workout. I ended up running around the street I started my running journey on. It’s almost a perfect mile loop which worked for an 800 interval and a recovery lap. When I first started running, about 7 years ago, the goal was always to try and make it down the street to the stop sign, which was a half mile.

not the stop sign, but a sign in Indiana!

Trying to make it to the stop sign was always a struggle. This was back when running 1-2 miles without stopping was the hardest thing ever. It was so difficult to push past the sign and continue on. My pace used to be 12:30/mile and I never thought I’d be sprinting past that sign a few years down the road. I wish my future self could have told that sweaty, tired, past Cori that she gets a little faster, running gets easier and she actually will enjoy it 🙂

Each split I did the morning of my birthday was between 3:00-3:10 or 6:00-6:20 pace. Every time I passed that sign I felt so much more confident entering the last year of my 20s. I cannot wait to see how I rank as the oldest in the 25-29 age group throughout the year!

I spent the day with family, a carrot cake, my favorite pizza and a campfire with s’mores! I cannot tell you how much I’ve missed pizza from home. Nothing compares to it near me.

what a beaut!

I really soaked up time with a few people while I was out here and I can’t say enough how much I love all of them. And campfires. I really love campfires.

Jaxon, Brant & Mason

SIL Trish, Brant & Jaxon

Running while on vacation this time didn’t go terribly. I only missed a run or two and I’m planning on waking up early to squeeze in a long run before I take off. When I’m back into the normal routine of things this week i’m buckling down and 100% focusing on finishing marathon training like a beast. I’m getting excited!!!!!

clearly, i’m not the only one who enjoys S’mores!

Weekly Recap

Monday: 8.5m 7:41/pace, 25min back & hamstrings, 10 abs

Tuesday: 25min chest/shoulders

Wednesday: 7.1m easy 8:44/pace

Thursday: 20 min back

Friday: 7.3m track workout 800s

Saturday: 10 min 50 pushups, abs

Sunday: Rest

Total Miles: 22.9

What is your next race!? I’m doing the Geek Run 5k next Sunday!

08/15/2014
by She's Going the Distance 9 Comments

We Cam Do BUnch ofr Brefsast

Wednesday: 7.1m easy 8:44/pace

Thursday: 20 min back

Friday: 7.3m track workout 800s

So It’s my birthday! The last year in my 20s, the last year in the 25-29 running age group. And as i’ve stated a few times here i’m trying to do things that make me happy. I also realized this means i’ve been turning into a bit of a “Yes Man” and having a good time while trying new things and keeping busy.

Last week I got an email of the places DC serves bottomless brunch (both drinks and food at a set price/set hours). Without hesitation and a week of planning Emmeline and I hit up Zengo!

We have absolutely no problem talking and eating for hours on end. Don’t you love when you find friends like that? Especially friends you can talk about running to for hours and not feel bad about it. Or when you have bite sized waffles?

We started with breakfast faves, eggs benedict, waffles, bacon fried rice (haha), bloody marys, sake sangria (there was an asian fusion thing going on here) then moved onto lunch with sushi.

As the bottomless mimosas kept being topped off with extra champagne the fun pictures started happening. I’m pretty sure we said, “this is gonna be so hot.” haha

My Instagram

I guess the waiter liked our table–and the table next to ours–Emmeline found a soccer buddy to talk to–and he brought us mango shots. DELICIOUS!

and the shot!

Emmeline’s Instagram

About 2:00 we decided to hit up a museum. We chose the natural history. Neither of us had been there in a while and I got to learn all about Emmeline’s crazy adventures visiting Africa.

Inside the museum we took the only important pics of the day: and elephant butt & something that looks like something I don’t want to talk about, but couldn’t stop laughing at.

And the obligitory Monument pic. Although, i just wanted it because the sky looked sooooo awesome!

What should I do for my last year as a 20 Something year old??

08/13/2014
by She's Going the Distance 14 Comments

First Timer Here!

Monday: 8.5m 7:41/pace, 25min back & hamstrings, 10 abs

Tuesday: 25min chest/shoulders

I hit up the track near my new apartment with Andy. He’s a client of mine who is trying to qualify for Boston this fall. We do mostly strength training at the gym, but thought it would be a good idea to do a few running specific workouts. What better way to do track workouts then with a partner with the same goal? He ran 6 X 800s really well, hitting paces between 7:04-5:27.

This was his first track workout of the season so we weren’t concerned with even pacing, just trying to see where his speed was. Generally when doing 800s, i try to stay within 30 seconds of a specific time range and gradually go faster until the end of the workout. This week however my Coach wants me to stick within 10 seconds…this is going to take some fast ~~math~~ even running!

During Andy’s workout I ran 5 easy miles. It was very strange running circles on the track without a Garmin, without a workout and without trying to run fast. But I had a blast coaching Andy and can’t wait to do it again when I can chase him!

I had yet again another crazy busy weekend which started with an Orioles game! My first to be exact. (I want to visit as many ballparks and hockey rinks as possible!) Last fall I ran through Camden Yards at the end of the Baltimore Half and I remember thinking to myself I needed to visit Camden Yards again, and not just at the 12.9m mark of a half marathon.

Orioles vs Cardinals

The 4:00pm game time was a little different, but I liked it. Not too late, not too early. The stadium was very cool, weather was perfect, although I did miss my BLT dog from Nationals Park.

I wore green. I don’t think i own anything orange…whoops!

sunsetting

I’m heading out the door to fit in a run! Indiana is the place I started this crazy running adventure and I always enjoy getting back here to run on the flat terrain. Don’t forget to fit in your run or workouts first thing while on vacation! You’re more likely not to work out once the day gets started and family and friends are around!

Last week:

Monday: The 120– yep i did it again, 10 abs

Tuesday: 6m easy 8:45/pace, 30 min legs

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 30 min upper body, 5.3m Tempo 7:23/pace

Friday: 25min core, 4.75 easy no garmin

Saturday: 20m triceps, lower back

Sunday: Rest (pushed long run to Monday)

Total Miles: 16.1 (see Sunday)

Favorite Ballpark? old- Wrigley, new- Nationals

08/07/2014
by She's Going the Distance 8 Comments

Run Slow, Race Fast

Monday: The 120– yep i did it again, 10 abs

Tuesday: 6m easy 8:45/pace, 30 min legs

Wednesday: Rest

The past few weeks I’ve been running my first mile of each outing faster than the rest. I’m calling this the WTF. (From now on you should too.) It happens often in races when you go out too fast, but what better way to say what happened than with WTF? I was thinking to myself after a few miles into one of these particular positive splitting runs and i thought to myself, WTF..

Went (out) Too Fast.

I realized what I’d been doing. Chasing my old paces and times. Granted i’m not terribly far off, i’m still not quite there yet to be pushing paces. I got the image in my head of Mario Kart 64–Where you race the ghost of your best time. Does anyone remember this??

Last week I started focusing on straight up making my hard runs hard and my easy runs easy. My mantra lately has been “train to race, don’t race to train.” I’ve had a great track record of PR’ing each half marathon i’ve done, but i’ve never had a 1/2 where I felt like I raced and left my entire being on a course… If I ever want to break a 1:30 half marathon, running slower on easy days might just be the key. Sounds counter productive, but I keep stumbling on articles that suggest otherwise.

Runner’s World has plenty of articles..

And another blurb from an article at Competitor.com

This is what I’m changing as I begin to marathon train. I’m chilling out on paces during my easy days and i’m pushing for times on the speed days. When I look back at my training log I can see that I ran too fast, too often. I did feel burnt out a lot and almost all my runs were at the “moderate” threshold. Let’s cross fingers and hope that slowing down will produce a few PRs in the upcoming months.

If I didn’t slow down on easy days, then I couldn’t take pictures of these beautiful views!

How do your easy paces compare to hard paces?

08/04/2014
by She's Going the Distance 12 Comments

Try New Things

I did a long run yesterday (8.5m), and it was ROUGH. It’s been all gravy-train-sugar-clouds for the last few weeks coming back from the injury, but dudes—yesterday running humbled me and slapped me back into reality. Running is hard guys.

As soon as I took off, my quads were screaming and tight. I probably stopped 15 times during this entire run to stretch, walk and catch my breath. The only reason I finished is because everything in my lower body finally loosened up at the halfway mark. The humidity was brutal. Even when i slowed down I couldn’t take deep breaths..then it started raining, helped a little but not really. I could have been running through the Amazon for all i knew. Humidity and me do.not.get.along. Side note: i’m running hills almost daily because of where I’m living now. Not always fun, something is always sore or achy even when pace slows way the heck down. I’m going to enjoy every minute of flat Philly & Chicago in a few months!

The hard work from running hills, in heat and humidity will shine through come the fall. That has always been true, so i’m trying not to to be discouraged with a bad run. They happen. The love for the run happens on those random days where everything clicks unexpectedly and makes all the hard work worth every humid second.

On days where i’m not building mileage I have been working toward keeping myself happy. I’m trying new things, eating at new restaurants and focusing on just plain, being happy. When my friend Marie came into town we went stand up paddle boarding for the first time & did boxing drills at my gym.

Marie & I in a friendly boxing workout

Last weekend our gym worked a church event and we all attempted Zumba. I’m NOT coordinated..and no, i don’t believe there are pictures of us doing Zumba, but it happened and it was a hard, sweaty workout.

Ben, Michele, Torre & me

At the same event I got to rock climb.. that was a VERY fun first and will not be the last. Thank Bob I started doing more pushups and pull-ups because my forearms were feeling it!

And… I got to bounce on this thing. Don’t know what it’s called but i’ve seen it at the mall and carnivals and stuff and always thought it would be fun. New and fun. For about 2 minutes then i was over it. Trampolines are where it’s at people.

The rest are a little random, and not fitness related, but all in the same—Try new things! Like wearing my hair a little differently…

Or having eggs benedict on a waffle…

Or drinking a craft beer that is made with Old Bay seasoning…

Flying Dog beer

And last but not the end of these showing up on the blog… Taking a few minutes from my day to watch the sunset. I’ve been working late most week nights and i now take the time to step outside of the gym, breathe, relax and enjoy the different colors that each evening brings.

Workouts!

Monday: “The 120″ Workout, 15 abs

Tuesday: 30 min total body cardio workout, 3m easy 8:45/pace

Wednesday: 6m track workout 4 X 800s 7:40/pace

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 6.2 easy 7:58/pace (flat terrain = huge difference in “easy” pace)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 8.5m easy 9:01/pace

Total: 24.3

What new things have you done lately?